I just think it's funny how this site always posts news articles which contain laments about the "computerized policing" of America, and how american's are so paranoid now-a-days Than you have this story, which proves those who make these prediction share the same degree of "paranoia". Maybe, Slashdot, it's because people care about their families as much as you care about your hardware.
-1 TROLL
This is most hilarious comment I've read in a while, and I'll admit the whole "Jacko Debacko" is way overrated. I don't really hear about it because I selectivly receive news, meaning I choose what to read, and don't merely internalize the sixty minute programs on various television stations.
Mod parent up funny.
People have recently been asking me what software I use, so I've decided to make a list of the software that I think is "essential" and that I have to install on any system that I use; feel free to discuss. Please keep in mind I'm only focusing on Win32 software here, since this is probably the OS of choice for most forum readers.
I've decided to go through and update this list to reflect my current configuration, and I'm going to include non-Win32 software, but only that which I use on a daily basis. This update should be complete by August 7th.
I intend to add quite a few programs to the list, and some are getting removed.
A sample of programs I'm going to add or expand on list: Subtitle Workshop, mp4ui, LA (lossless audio), ffdshow, AC3Filter, Zoom Player, The Font Thing, XnView, GhostScript/GhostView, DiscJuggler, COM Explorer, ActiveX Explorer, ZTree, BHODemon, VSigGen, PerfectDisc, PowerBASIC 7, 7-Zip, QuickPar, SFV Checker, vile, Borland CodeWright, Visual SlickEdit, Eset NOD32 Antivirus, WinSCP, AvantBrowser, lftp, NFTP, NcFTP, Sam Spade, Xnews, Mulberry, PuTTY, OpenChat/32, C-Kermit, Kermit-95, Open DCL, foobar2000, bfilter, Zsh, wget, ScrollZ, OpenSSH, Seminole httpd, and more.
I'm going to add a small section for NeXTSTEP and OpenStep software as well, since I'm a daily user of NeXT workstation equipment.
You can get The GNU Privacy Guard from www.gnupg.org. It's based on the openpgp standard, which all new PGP releases are also, so it's totally interoperable. It's a part of the GNU project and has clients for many host OS. You can do more with this app than just encrypt mail.
Please buy your children books and stop allowing them to play those stupid shockwave games where they simulate shooting at celebrities with various obnoxious weapons. Problem solved.
Since you mention money as an issue I would recommend not purchasing Microsoft windows and definitly not installing an unauthorized version. Windows is not free software as in the Spanish word freedom. I personally believe that software such as GNU/Linux, BSD, Gnome, and KDE have all reached a state where you as a non-technical user will have no problem getting along with and find useful in your daily computing experiences. Openoffice is one of the most advanced office suites available today, with admitably less-than-perfect importing of certain non-free software formats, but for the most basic stuff that I would guess more than half users use the filters are fine. Gnome has just released their office suite at version 1.0, and I personally believe that the spreadsheet program Gnumeric is the most advanced GUI spreadsheet program that exists today. As far as browsers you have several choices for free software platforms, such as Galeon, Epiphany, Mozilla, Firebird, and konqueror. The binaries you would aquire for those cross platform browsers are most likely goin to be more stable on the platform that the developers use, which is largely free software systems.
I personally see no practical reason to purchase Microsoft products. I am ethically opposed to using and recommending their products, although I realize that sometimes we don't have a choice, whether at work or at school. In this case you do have a choice. If you value your freedom I would recommend choosing and using free software. If you don't value your freedom than that's fine you don't deserve it anyway.
Go to http://www.gnu.org/philosophy to read more about free software. I hope you consider the points there when choosing software for your new computer.
May I also mention that most of the software you need such as Anti-Virus is platform specific and you'll not need these applications on free software operating systems.
I am one to give technical credit where it is due, but honestly I think Linux or BSD is your best bet in todays world. You are the person who has to decide.
"One-hundred billion goes to the War Department this year out of three-hundred billion budget (1974). Police agencies have become so vast- National Security Agency alone is the largest police bureaucracy in America yet it's activities are almost unknown to all of us - that there is no turning back from computerized police state control of America."
-Allen Ginsberg. 1974.
I have never used slackware but I have read a lot about it. One problem that this distro seems to have is that you have to download a completely new ISO every time a new one comes out, similar to the RPM distrobutions. This is very ineffecient IMO. Most slack users I know and have read about just reinstall and than add all their old configs and such like.bash_config. Maybe I have been reading the wrong info, but this a major flaw in any distro that is to be considered for widescale deployment. Please don't get me wrong, we owe a lot to patrick for things like a BSD like init and such as well as a great distro!
I've heard it suggested by RMS that gamers/coders should start gaming clubs to create free software licensed games. I think this would be a successful approach to development, as it mirrors the Free/Open Source community, which is highly successful.
"Linus Torvalds is the creator of the Linux operating system..."
More misunderstanding. I know it's preaching to the choir, but Linux is just the kernel, and the GNU project deserves just as much representation as does Linus Torvalds for it's creation of low level tools such as GCC. Linus is hardly the sole creator of the base system, although he did write the kernel as I'm sure you know.
"...the open source version of Unix..."
Linux is not a version of Unix. GNU/Linux is a derivative clone of UNIX. The system was initially chosen by the GNU project to be a clone of UNIX because it was the most portable OS at the time. I don't know how closely the Linux kernel compares to UNIX kernels and such, but GNU/Linux is definitly UNIX-like as a result of initial planning by the Free Software Foundation. Furthermore, if Linux was a version of UNIX (all of which must be licensed) wouldn't this whole interview (at least the SCO parts) be pointless since SCO licenses UNIX? Saying it's a version implys that it uses UNIX code, which is what brought us to all this madness in the first instance. Honestly, do these reports even know what they're saying, or do they just run off scripts?
"He is a technical leader and an outspoken advocate of open source development, which allows software users to develop and modify their own versions of software for free."
Notice how they use the term "for free" rather than something like "freely modify". Just a subtle point which I felt was worthy of pointing out. Also, notice the commonly used over-patronage of Linus. I think the media does this, unconciously, to effectivley set the boundaries of acceptable discourse on the amazing social phenomenon that is the movement commonly refered to as the "Open Source Movement," which sets unprecidented examples for healthy human society and interaction in comparison to the failed systems of the past. One can't even begin to draw parallels simply because of this sort-of systematic patronage of one man, and overlooking of an entire movement.
For our readers who don't know the origins of Linux, can you talk about how it was written given the existence of Unix?
A: The origin was all written by me. For the first six months or so I was the only person working on Linux. It took almost a year before there was a major contribution from people outside. It's all original code since day one.
Linus: "I am at the center...
You get a lot of folks bashing on RMS because he politely asks people to at least acknowledge the work of the Free Software Foundation by calling the system GNU/Linux, but here you have Torvalds claiming entire responisibility of the OS, granted in response to a question about SCO's involvement in the origins of the OS, but nonetheless claiming total responsibility. So how can we conclude that RMS is cocky when we have this kind of total disregard for everyone else involved in the development of the system.
Until we stop using terms like Linux meaning the whole OS and Intellectual Property as being every legal issue under the sun, we simply can't even begin to have a logical discussion about the issues at hand, and will only further confuse those who may casually read about these subjects in the news.
After reading this article I really thought about a lot of things, and came to the conclusion that the term "Open Source" is really pointless and should be avoided. If you think about it, all source is open. Propreitary code is open to the developers who work on it. It's just maintained in a system of checks, balances, non-disclosure agreements, and "need to know" prediciments. What you're really talking about when you discuss "open-source" is exactly how open it is, and who exactly it's open to. That's why I think it's better to use the term free when discussing these matters, as it's a more liberating term without the boundaries that "open" source can have. Sure it's "open", but who exactly is it open to? If something's free, it's just free; Their are no heirarchiel limitations.
Personally I am tired of these artivles trying to measure the cost effectiveness and practical benefits of Free and Open Source Software (I use these terms interoperably for the most part). What you never hear of is how Free and Open Source software insure our freedoms. I'm by know means trying to be a RMS lacky here, although I am known to be one, but I'm just think it's nevertheless important to get people who would normally never consider such a correlation between freedom and softare. Just think of all those primitivists who would be converted to modernization if they knew the social benefits of Free and Open Source software. Personally the practical benefits come secondary in my opinion. What's more important is what type of society we want to live in.
I just think it's wonderful to see a company and a free software project working together so closely and actually coming up with the goods. Neuros might not be getting my money just yet (I'm broke), but they do have my respect for their work on free software. The FM transmitter really is the seller for me. I know that the their are some mini-jack to transmitter adapters available that are sold for the ipod, but this just doesn't match the internal transmitter. Also the FM RDS is neat (station/song auto display for you non-radio junkies). Does anyone know of any other portable audio players with a transmitter feature?
Yay! This how means I can listen to my RMS ogg vorbis files on the road.
I must say that after glancing over the article with certain peezes I have when it comes to terminology of these things. Yes it should be called GNU/Linux, and some other things which I will spare you on this occasion.
I have lately been discontent with the seeming lack of effort in technical articles both in print and on the web. It seems that too many authors are just piecing together non-sensical ramblings in between their Unreal sessions and whatever else they're doing.
Like many of my fellow/.'ers, I read extensivley, although mostly non-fiction in my case. I found this article to be amazingly well written for the intended audience. Kudos to you Mr. Bacon. You have re-affirmed my conviction that it is possible to present technical information to non-technical crowds, thus showing that authors need not assume that everyone is inherintly dumb, as I see far to often. My hat his off to you for this wonderful article which I actually enjoyed reading.
Free Software foundation = Goldsteins Brotherhood
on
Gates and Security
·
· Score: 1
I know you, yes you have probably read these already, but someone else probably hasn't. Don't worry, there is still room for Anonymous Cowards to troll. Personally I consider these seminal works, but of course YMMV.
I believe that it's important to hear all sides to any issue, so here are two Ogg Vorbis encoded recordings of Richard M. Stallman speaking about software patents and a percieved danger that they pose to software development. I know that this story isn't specifically about software patents, but you may find his ideas informative and extensible. (Disclaimer: Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.)
Here is a transcript of a non-recorded speech given by RMS in India also on the issue of software patents.
I hope some of you find these links useful. If anyone knows of any good links taking differing position on the issue of patent law, etc... than I would definitly encourage you to post those.
"Furthermore, after reviewing this GPL our lawyers advised us that any
products compiled with GPL'ed tools - such as gcc - would also have to
its source code released. This was simply unacceptable."
This is simply untrue. Many non-free systems are compiled using GCC. Many propreitary systems are built using the Gnu Compiler Collection, and I have never heard of the Free Software Foundation claiming that they must release their code. I think this is either a misinterpretation by your lawyers or general just fear, uncertainty, and doubt on behalf of your company.
"I think the biggest thing keeping Linux from being truly competitive
with Microsoft is this GPL. Its draconian requirements virtually
guarentee that no business will ever be able to use it."
The GPL is hardly more draconian than the Microsoft EULA. Furthermore, the GPL is clearly not about companies. The GPL is about giving freedom to the user.
"Everyone was very pleased with Linux, and we were
considering using it for a great deal of future internal projects."
Your comment significes the overwhelming sensibility of sharing code. All the public resources that have gone into creating the myriad of propreitary products is generallyh wasteful. Their is no point in trying to re-invent the wheel. Their is no point in not sharing generally useful technical information.
I personally admire what your company did in contracting to modify Free software for specialized purposes. This is exactly how Free Software would benefit to our economy, especially for developers such as yourself. The only reason that things like Microsoft EULA's exist is so that someone can take away the freedom of their users and exhibit a system of power over them as people. The arguement that companies must protect their intellectual property is flawed because the money that they make generally doesn't go into paying for the costs of distrobution. It goes into things like making Bill Gates a very rich man. That's a system not at all concerned with compensating the developers, once you make an analysis and really think about it.
Slashdot Mirror
I just think it's funny how this site always posts news articles which contain laments about the "computerized policing" of America, and how american's are so paranoid now-a-days Than you have this story, which proves those who make these prediction share the same degree of "paranoia". Maybe, Slashdot, it's because people care about their families as much as you care about your hardware. -1 TROLL
This is most hilarious comment I've read in a while, and I'll admit the whole "Jacko Debacko" is way overrated. I don't really hear about it because I selectivly receive news, meaning I choose what to read, and don't merely internalize the sixty minute programs on various television stations. Mod parent up funny.
More a second their I thought I READ "All Things Censored". LMFAO. Gotta love corporate titles.
Free Media
Both links found at Creative Commons
I hope these will help. They're just collections of photos licensed under creative commons licesnses which will probably allow you to use them freely.
Also check out the wikipedia page on photography
People have recently been asking me what software I use, so I've decided to make a list of the software that I think is "essential" and that I have to install on any system that I use; feel free to discuss. Please keep in mind I'm only focusing on Win32 software here, since this is probably the OS of choice for most forum readers.
I've decided to go through and update this list to reflect my current configuration, and I'm going to include non-Win32 software, but only that which I use on a daily basis. This update should be complete by August 7th.
I intend to add quite a few programs to the list, and some are getting removed.
A sample of programs I'm going to add or expand on list: Subtitle Workshop, mp4ui, LA (lossless audio), ffdshow, AC3Filter, Zoom Player, The Font Thing, XnView, GhostScript/GhostView, DiscJuggler, COM Explorer, ActiveX Explorer, ZTree, BHODemon, VSigGen, PerfectDisc, PowerBASIC 7, 7-Zip, QuickPar, SFV Checker, vile, Borland CodeWright, Visual SlickEdit, Eset NOD32 Antivirus, WinSCP, AvantBrowser, lftp, NFTP, NcFTP, Sam Spade, Xnews, Mulberry, PuTTY, OpenChat/32, C-Kermit, Kermit-95, Open DCL, foobar2000, bfilter, Zsh, wget, ScrollZ, OpenSSH, Seminole httpd, and more.
I'm going to add a small section for NeXTSTEP and OpenStep software as well, since I'm a daily user of NeXT workstation equipment.
You can get The GNU Privacy Guard from www.gnupg.org. It's based on the openpgp standard, which all new PGP releases are also, so it's totally interoperable. It's a part of the GNU project and has clients for many host OS. You can do more with this app than just encrypt mail.
Please buy your children books and stop allowing them to play those stupid shockwave games where they simulate shooting at celebrities with various obnoxious weapons. Problem solved.
This may be worth checking out. http://googlebar.mozdev.org/
Amen to that brother!
Since you mention money as an issue I would recommend not purchasing Microsoft windows and definitly not installing an unauthorized version. Windows is not free software as in the Spanish word freedom. I personally believe that software such as GNU/Linux, BSD, Gnome, and KDE have all reached a state where you as a non-technical user will have no problem getting along with and find useful in your daily computing experiences. Openoffice is one of the most advanced office suites available today, with admitably less-than-perfect importing of certain non-free software formats, but for the most basic stuff that I would guess more than half users use the filters are fine. Gnome has just released their office suite at version 1.0, and I personally believe that the spreadsheet program Gnumeric is the most advanced GUI spreadsheet program that exists today. As far as browsers you have several choices for free software platforms, such as Galeon, Epiphany, Mozilla, Firebird, and konqueror. The binaries you would aquire for those cross platform browsers are most likely goin to be more stable on the platform that the developers use, which is largely free software systems.
I personally see no practical reason to purchase Microsoft products. I am ethically opposed to using and recommending their products, although I realize that sometimes we don't have a choice, whether at work or at school. In this case you do have a choice. If you value your freedom I would recommend choosing and using free software. If you don't value your freedom than that's fine you don't deserve it anyway.
Go to http://www.gnu.org/philosophy to read more about free software. I hope you consider the points there when choosing software for your new computer.
May I also mention that most of the software you need such as Anti-Virus is platform specific and you'll not need these applications on free software operating systems.
I am one to give technical credit where it is due, but honestly I think Linux or BSD is your best bet in todays world. You are the person who has to decide.
"One-hundred billion goes to the War Department this year out of three-hundred billion budget (1974). Police agencies have become so vast- National Security Agency alone is the largest police bureaucracy in America yet it's activities are almost unknown to all of us - that there is no turning back from computerized police state control of America." -Allen Ginsberg. 1974.
I have never used slackware but I have read a lot about it. One problem that this distro seems to have is that you have to download a completely new ISO every time a new one comes out, similar to the RPM distrobutions. This is very ineffecient IMO. Most slack users I know and have read about just reinstall and than add all their old configs and such like .bash_config. Maybe I have been reading the wrong info, but this a major flaw in any distro that is to be considered for widescale deployment. Please don't get me wrong, we owe a lot to patrick for things like a BSD like init and such as well as a great distro!
Woot! First post.
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=82450&hig hlight=cvs
Looks like the obsessive nightly CVS crontab build jobs of many Gentoo users has pissed off some folks.
Too lazy to parse.
I've heard it suggested by RMS that gamers/coders should start gaming clubs to create free software licensed games. I think this would be a successful approach to development, as it mirrors the Free/Open Source community, which is highly successful.
"Linus Torvalds is the creator of the Linux operating system..."
More misunderstanding. I know it's preaching to the choir, but Linux is just the kernel, and the GNU project deserves just as much representation as does Linus Torvalds for it's creation of low level tools such as GCC. Linus is hardly the sole creator of the base system, although he did write the kernel as I'm sure you know.
"...the open source version of Unix..."
Linux is not a version of Unix. GNU/Linux is a derivative clone of UNIX. The system was initially chosen by the GNU project to be a clone of UNIX because it was the most portable OS at the time. I don't know how closely the Linux kernel compares to UNIX kernels and such, but GNU/Linux is definitly UNIX-like as a result of initial planning by the Free Software Foundation. Furthermore, if Linux was a version of UNIX (all of which must be licensed) wouldn't this whole interview (at least the SCO parts) be pointless since SCO licenses UNIX? Saying it's a version implys that it uses UNIX code, which is what brought us to all this madness in the first instance. Honestly, do these reports even know what they're saying, or do they just run off scripts?
"He is a technical leader and an outspoken advocate of open source development, which allows software users to develop and modify their own versions of software for free."
Notice how they use the term "for free" rather than something like "freely modify". Just a subtle point which I felt was worthy of pointing out. Also, notice the commonly used over-patronage of Linus. I think the media does this, unconciously, to effectivley set the boundaries of acceptable discourse on the amazing social phenomenon that is the movement commonly refered to as the "Open Source Movement," which sets unprecidented examples for healthy human society and interaction in comparison to the failed systems of the past. One can't even begin to draw parallels simply because of this sort-of systematic patronage of one man, and overlooking of an entire movement.
For our readers who don't know the origins of Linux, can you talk about how it was written given the existence of Unix?
A: The origin was all written by me. For the first six months or so I was the only person working on Linux. It took almost a year before there was a major contribution from people outside. It's all original code since day one.
Linus: "I am at the center...
You get a lot of folks bashing on RMS because he politely asks people to at least acknowledge the work of the Free Software Foundation by calling the system GNU/Linux, but here you have Torvalds claiming entire responisibility of the OS, granted in response to a question about SCO's involvement in the origins of the OS, but nonetheless claiming total responsibility. So how can we conclude that RMS is cocky when we have this kind of total disregard for everyone else involved in the development of the system.
Until we stop using terms like Linux meaning the whole OS and Intellectual Property as being every legal issue under the sun, we simply can't even begin to have a logical discussion about the issues at hand, and will only further confuse those who may casually read about these subjects in the news.
After reading this article I really thought about a lot of things, and came to the conclusion that the term "Open Source" is really pointless and should be avoided. If you think about it, all source is open. Propreitary code is open to the developers who work on it. It's just maintained in a system of checks, balances, non-disclosure agreements, and "need to know" prediciments. What you're really talking about when you discuss "open-source" is exactly how open it is, and who exactly it's open to. That's why I think it's better to use the term free when discussing these matters, as it's a more liberating term without the boundaries that "open" source can have. Sure it's "open", but who exactly is it open to? If something's free, it's just free; Their are no heirarchiel limitations.
Personally I am tired of these artivles trying to measure the cost effectiveness and practical benefits of Free and Open Source Software (I use these terms interoperably for the most part). What you never hear of is how Free and Open Source software insure our freedoms. I'm by know means trying to be a RMS lacky here, although I am known to be one, but I'm just think it's nevertheless important to get people who would normally never consider such a correlation between freedom and softare. Just think of all those primitivists who would be converted to modernization if they knew the social benefits of Free and Open Source software. Personally the practical benefits come secondary in my opinion. What's more important is what type of society we want to live in.
I just think it's wonderful to see a company and a free software project working together so closely and actually coming up with the goods. Neuros might not be getting my money just yet (I'm broke), but they do have my respect for their work on free software. The FM transmitter really is the seller for me. I know that the their are some mini-jack to transmitter adapters available that are sold for the ipod, but this just doesn't match the internal transmitter. Also the FM RDS is neat (station/song auto display for you non-radio junkies). Does anyone know of any other portable audio players with a transmitter feature?
Yay! This how means I can listen to my RMS ogg vorbis files on the road.
I must say that after glancing over the article with certain peezes I have when it comes to terminology of these things. Yes it should be called GNU/Linux, and some other things which I will spare you on this occasion.
I have lately been discontent with the seeming lack of effort in technical articles both in print and on the web. It seems that too many authors are just piecing together non-sensical ramblings in between their Unreal sessions and whatever else they're doing. Like many of my fellow /.'ers, I read extensivley, although mostly non-fiction in my case. I found this article to be amazingly well written for the intended audience. Kudos to you Mr. Bacon. You have re-affirmed my conviction that it is possible to present technical information to non-technical crowds, thus showing that authors need not assume that everyone is inherintly dumb, as I see far to often. My hat his off to you for this wonderful article which I actually enjoyed reading.
Confuse-us say, "Here are some links for you..."
The GNU GPL and the American Way by Richard M. Stallman
The GNU GPL and the American Dream by Bradley M. Khun
Can you trust your computer? by Richard M. Stallman
I know you, yes you have probably read these already, but someone else probably hasn't. Don't worry, there is still room for Anonymous Cowards to troll. Personally I consider these seminal works, but of course YMMV.
Enjoy!
What is this monstrosity!?
I believe that it's important to hear all sides to any issue, so here are two Ogg Vorbis encoded recordings of Richard M. Stallman speaking about software patents and a percieved danger that they pose to software development. I know that this story isn't specifically about software patents, but you may find his ideas informative and extensible. (Disclaimer: Verbatim copying and distribution of the entire speech recording are permitted provided this notice is preserved.)
i dgeuni-england2002.ogg Transcript t s-lse2002.ogg
http://audio-video.gnu.org/audio/rms-speech-cambr
http://audio-video.gnu.org/audio/rms-speech-paten
Here is a transcript of a non-recorded speech given by RMS in India also on the issue of software patents.
I hope some of you find these links useful. If anyone knows of any good links taking differing position on the issue of patent law, etc... than I would definitly encourage you to post those.
"Furthermore, after reviewing this GPL our lawyers advised us that any products compiled with GPL'ed tools - such as gcc - would also have to its source code released. This was simply unacceptable."
This is simply untrue. Many non-free systems are compiled using GCC. Many propreitary systems are built using the Gnu Compiler Collection, and I have never heard of the Free Software Foundation claiming that they must release their code. I think this is either a misinterpretation by your lawyers or general just fear, uncertainty, and doubt on behalf of your company.
"I think the biggest thing keeping Linux from being truly competitive with Microsoft is this GPL. Its draconian requirements virtually guarentee that no business will ever be able to use it."
The GPL is hardly more draconian than the Microsoft EULA. Furthermore, the GPL is clearly not about companies. The GPL is about giving freedom to the user.
"Everyone was very pleased with Linux, and we were considering using it for a great deal of future internal projects."
Your comment significes the overwhelming sensibility of sharing code. All the public resources that have gone into creating the myriad of propreitary products is generallyh wasteful. Their is no point in trying to re-invent the wheel. Their is no point in not sharing generally useful technical information.
I personally admire what your company did in contracting to modify Free software for specialized purposes. This is exactly how Free Software would benefit to our economy, especially for developers such as yourself. The only reason that things like Microsoft EULA's exist is so that someone can take away the freedom of their users and exhibit a system of power over them as people. The arguement that companies must protect their intellectual property is flawed because the money that they make generally doesn't go into paying for the costs of distrobution. It goes into things like making Bill Gates a very rich man. That's a system not at all concerned with compensating the developers, once you make an analysis and really think about it.